Wilde runner aiming to charm the crowd at metropolitan race

Wilde, who has trained five winners in the past week including Navy King at Flemington, saddles up underrated mare Precious Charm in a $130,000 benchmark race over 1600 metres at Sandown.

Precious Charm took her record to four wins from seven starts with a last=start victory in a 1400-metre race over the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival.

"It was a good win by Precious Charm at Warrnambool," Wilde told The Standard.

"Her first-up run at Sandown looked disappointing but she may have needed the outing. I was very happy with her win at Warrnambool.

"I'm sure she'll appreciate the 1600 metres on Saturday. She hasn't done much wrong in her career. We've always rated her highly.

"Precious Charm won a nice restricted fillies and mares race over the Flemington carnival in the spring of last year. I'm not sure if she measures up to black-type mares races in town but she'll be competitive.

"We'll have a better idea of where we go with her after she runs at Sandown on Saturday."

Jockey Jordan Childs, who has ridden Precious Charm in two of her four victories including the last-start Warrnambool win, retains the ride on the lightly-raced four-year-old at Sandown.

Precious Charm is a $6.50 chance in the early betting markets for the race.

Fellow local trainers Matthew Williams and Lindsey Smith have runners on the 10-race program.

Smith saddles up Queen Air against Precious Charm in the mares race while Williams accepted with My Rock Aly and Flying Fizz.